Your FREE Praxis 5205 Flashcards 2026 – 200+ Cards

The broad, umbrella ability to notice and work with the sound structure of spoken language at any level — words in sentences, syllables, onsets and rimes, and individual phonemes. It is auditory and does not require print.

The most advanced level of phonological awareness: the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual phonemes (smallest sound units) in spoken words, such as segmenting 'sun' into /s/ /u/ /n/.

The smallest unit of sound in a spoken language that can distinguish one word from another, such as the /p/ and /b/ that separate 'pat' from 'bat'. English has roughly 44 phonemes.

Breaking a spoken word into its separate phonemes, as in saying 'ship' as /sh/ /i/ /p/. It is a strong predictor of early decoding and spelling success.

Combining individually spoken phonemes into a whole word, as in hearing /m/ /a/ /p/ and saying 'map'. It is the auditory foundation for sounding out printed words.

Removing a phoneme from a spoken word to make a new word, such as saying 'cat' without the /k/ to get 'at'. It is an advanced manipulation skill.

Replacing one phoneme in a spoken word with another to form a new word, such as changing the /b/ in 'bat' to /h/ to make 'hat'.

Recognizing an individual sound in a word — for example, naming the first sound in 'dog' as /d/ or the last sound as /g/.

Within a syllable, the onset is the initial consonant sound(s) and the rime is the vowel and everything after it. In 'stop,' /st/ is the onset and /op/ is the rime.

The ability to count, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words, such as clapping the two beats in 'tiger.' It develops earlier than phoneme-level skills.

Recognizing and producing words that share the same ending sound, such as 'cat,' 'hat,' and 'mat.' It is an early, accessible phonological skill.

The repetition of the same initial sound across nearby words, as in 'big brown bear.' Noticing alliteration is an early phonological-awareness skill.

The reading and writing knowledge children build before conventional reading begins — including print awareness, oral language, alphabet knowledge, and phonological awareness.

Understanding how print works: that text carries meaning, is read left-to-right and top-to-bottom, has spaces between words, and that books have features like a title and page order.

The understanding that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language in a systematic way — the bridge between phonemic awareness and phonics.

The ability to quickly and accurately name the letters of the alphabet. Automatic letter naming in kindergarten is a strong predictor of later reading achievement.

The emerging ability to match spoken words to printed words one-to-one while reading, pointing to each word as it is said (voice-print matching).

The growth of listening and speaking — vocabulary, syntax, and discourse — that forms the foundation reading comprehension is later built upon.

Familiar print in a child's surroundings, such as logos, signs, and labels, that helps young children begin to understand that print carries meaning.

Continuous sounds (/m/, /s/, /f/) can be held without distortion, making them easier to blend; stop sounds (/b/, /t/, /k/) cannot be held, so they need careful articulation to avoid adding a vowel.

Phonological awareness is the broad umbrella covering all sound units (words, syllables, onset-rime, phonemes); phonemic awareness is the specific subset that works only with individual phonemes.

A teaching tool in which a child pushes a marker into one box for each phoneme heard in a word, building phoneme segmentation and the link from sounds to print.

Phonological/phonemic awareness is purely about hearing and manipulating sounds (no letters); phonics connects those sounds to printed letters. Awareness is auditory; phonics involves print.

Skills typically develop from larger to smaller units: rhyming and word awareness, then syllables, then onset-rime, and finally individual phonemes (blending, segmenting, manipulation).

The five essential components of effective reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The large, interdisciplinary body of research on how reading develops and is best taught, emphasizing systematic, explicit instruction in the five pillars rather than guessing from cues.

The model stating that reading comprehension is the product of decoding (word recognition) and language comprehension; both are necessary, and weakness in either limits comprehension.

A model showing skilled reading as interwoven strands of word recognition (phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition) and language comprehension (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge).

Brief, periodic assessment of all students to identify those at risk of reading difficulty early so support can begin quickly; tools like DIBELS measure early literacy skills.

Short, standardized measures (such as DIBELS) of foundational skills like letter naming, phoneme segmentation, nonsense-word reading, and oral reading fluency used to flag students needing intervention.

Instruction that teaches the systematic relationships between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) so students can decode printed words. It is one of the five pillars of reading.

Translating printed letters and letter patterns into the sounds they represent and blending them to read a word. It applies phonics knowledge to print.

Translating spoken sounds into written letters — that is, spelling. Encoding and decoding are reciprocal skills that reinforce each other.

A letter or group of letters that represents a single phoneme, such as the single letter 'b' or the digraph 'sh,' both of which stand for one sound.

The match between a written letter or letter pattern and the sound it represents — the core knowledge phonics instruction builds, such as 'ai' representing /ā/.

Phonics taught in a planned, logical sequence (systematic) with clear, direct teaching of each correspondence rather than incidental discovery (explicit) — the approach research supports.

A phonics approach in which students learn letter-sound correspondences and then blend (synthesize) the sounds together to read whole words, e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/ → 'cat.'

A phonics approach in which students analyze letter-sound relationships within already-known whole words, often by examining word families, rather than blending sounds in isolation.

Two consonants that together spell a single new sound, such as 'sh,' 'ch,' 'th,' 'ph,' or 'wh.' The two letters are not blended separately.

Two or three consonants whose individual sounds are each heard, such as the /b/ /l/ in 'blend' or the /s/ /t/ /r/ in 'street.' Unlike a digraph, each sound is retained.

Two vowels that together represent a single vowel sound, such as 'ea' in 'team,' 'oa' in 'boat,' or 'ai' in 'rain.'

A single vowel sound that glides from one position to another within a syllable, such as 'oy' in 'boy' or 'ou' in 'house.'

A syllable ending in one or more consonants with a single vowel that is usually short, as in 'cat,' 'lap,' or the first syllable of 'napkin.'

A syllable ending in a single vowel, which is usually long, as in 'go,' 'hi,' or the first syllable of 'paper.'

A syllable with the pattern vowel-consonant-silent e, in which the final e signals a long vowel, as in 'cake,' 'bike,' and 'hope.'

A syllable in which a vowel is followed by 'r,' which alters the vowel sound, as in 'car,' 'bird,' 'fern,' 'corn,' and 'fur.'

A syllable whose vowel sound is spelled by two or more letters working together, such as 'rain,' 'boat,' 'play,' or 'thief.'

A final, unaccented syllable made of a consonant followed by 'le,' as in 'ta-ble,' 'lit-tle,' and 'sim-ple.'

Closed, open, vowel-consonant-e, r-controlled, vowel team, and consonant-le. Knowing the type helps a reader predict the vowel sound and chunk multisyllabic words.

The unstressed, neutral vowel sound /ə/ found in many multisyllabic words, such as the 'a' in 'about' or the 'o' in 'lemon.' It is the most common vowel sound in English.

The study of the meaningful parts of words — roots, prefixes, and suffixes (morphemes). It supports decoding, spelling, and vocabulary in multisyllabic words.

The smallest unit of meaning in a word. 'Unhelpful' has three morphemes: the prefix 'un-,' the root 'help,' and the suffix '-ful.'

A morpheme added to the beginning of a base word or root that changes its meaning, such as 're-' (again) in 'redo' or 'un-' (not) in 'unhappy.'

A morpheme added to the end of a base word or root that changes its meaning or grammatical function, such as '-ed,' '-s,' '-ful,' or '-tion.'

Inflectional suffixes (-s, -ed, -ing, -er) change tense, number, or comparison without changing word class; derivational suffixes (-ful, -ness, -tion) often create a new word or part of speech.

The central, meaning-bearing part of a word to which affixes attach. Many English roots come from Latin or Greek, such as 'port' (carry) in 'transport.'

Words a reader recognizes instantly and automatically. Many common high-frequency words (the, said, was) are taught for rapid recognition, though most become 'sight words' through repeated successful decoding.

High-frequency words whose spelling does not fully follow regular phonics patterns, such as 'said,' 'of,' and 'one,' which require mapping the irregular part explicitly.

The mental process by which readers connect a word's pronunciation, spelling, and meaning so it becomes stored for instant, automatic retrieval as a sight word.

Smoothly combining the sounds of a printed word's letters to pronounce the whole word, such as reading 'flag' as /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/ → 'flag.'

Connected text written to feature the specific letter-sound patterns students have been taught, giving them practice applying phonics rather than guessing from pictures or context.

A group of words that share the same rime, such as the '- at' family (cat, hat, sat) or the '- ight' family (light, night, sight). They help students decode by analogy.

Letters that appear in spelling but represent no sound, such as the 'k' in 'knee,' the 'b' in 'comb,' or the 'w' in 'write.'

'C' and 'g' are usually soft (/s/, /j/) before e, i, or y (as in 'city,' 'gem') and hard (/k/, /g/) before a, o, or u (as in 'cat,' 'go').

Systematically revisiting previously taught letter-sound patterns within new lessons so skills are retained and automatic, a hallmark of effective systematic phonics.

A specific learning disability marked by difficulty with accurate and fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding, despite adequate instruction. It is best addressed with structured, explicit, multisensory phonics.

Breaking a multisyllabic word into syllables to decode it, using patterns such as VC/CV ('nap-kin') or V/CV ('ti-ger') to determine where to divide.

A word formed by joining two complete words, such as 'sunlight' or 'baseball.' Recognizing the parts aids both decoding and meaning.

An assessment in which a teacher codes a student's oral reading of a text — marking errors, self-corrections, and accuracy rate — to gauge reading level and analyze word-solving strategies.

Examining the errors (miscues) a reader makes during oral reading to determine whether they rely on meaning, syntax, or visual/graphophonic cues, informing targeted instruction.

The body of words a person knows and uses. Reading depends on receptive vocabulary (words understood when heard or read) and expressive vocabulary (words used in speaking and writing).

Common, everyday words most students already know from oral language, such as 'dog,' 'happy,' or 'run.' They rarely require direct instruction.

High-utility academic words that appear across many texts and subjects, such as 'analyze,' 'contrast,' or 'fortunate.' They are the priority for direct vocabulary instruction.

Low-frequency, domain-specific technical words tied to a particular subject, such as 'photosynthesis' or 'isotope,' usually taught within content lessons.

Receptive vocabulary is the set of words a person understands when listening or reading; expressive vocabulary is the smaller set a person actually uses when speaking or writing.

Hints within surrounding text — definitions, examples, synonyms, antonyms, or inferences — that help a reader figure out an unfamiliar word's meaning.

Using known prefixes, roots, and suffixes to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, such as deducing 'rebuild' means 'build again' from 're-' + 'build.'

A graphic strategy that connects a target word to related concepts, categories, and examples, deepening and organizing word knowledge.

An awareness of and interest in words — their meanings, parts, and uses — that motivates students to notice and learn new vocabulary independently.

Synonyms are words with similar meanings (big/large); antonyms are words with opposite meanings (hot/cold). Both build flexible word knowledge.

Words that sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning, such as 'to/too/two' or 'their/there/they're.'

Words spelled the same but with different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations, such as 'bow' (to bend) and 'bow' (ribbon or weapon).

Words with more than one meaning depending on context, such as 'bank' (riverbank) versus 'bank' (money). Context determines the intended sense.

Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association it carries, such as 'thrifty' (positive) versus 'cheap' (negative).

Words in two languages that share a common origin and similar form and meaning, such as English 'family' and Spanish 'familia' — a useful bridge for English learners.

The ability to read text accurately, at an appropriate rate, and with proper expression. Fluency frees cognitive resources for comprehension and bridges decoding and meaning.

Reading words correctly without errors. High accuracy is the foundation of fluency; frequent misreadings break down comprehension.

The speed of reading, often measured as words correct per minute. Appropriate rate signals automatic word recognition, but speed should never come at the expense of accuracy or meaning.

The expressive features of oral reading — phrasing, intonation, stress, and attention to punctuation — that make reading sound like natural speech and reflect comprehension.

Fast, effortless, accurate word recognition that requires little conscious attention, freeing mental resources for understanding the text.

An evidence-based fluency strategy in which a student rereads the same passage several times to build accuracy, rate, and expression.

A fluency practice in which a group reads a text aloud together in unison, providing support and modeling for less fluent readers.

A fluency technique in which the teacher reads a line or phrase with expression and students immediately repeat it, imitating the model's prosody.

A fluency practice in which two students take turns reading and giving feedback, increasing reading practice time and accountability.

A fluency metric calculated by subtracting errors from total words read in one minute. It is commonly used in oral reading fluency screening and progress monitoring.

A fluency activity in which students rehearse and perform a script aloud, providing an authentic, motivating reason for repeated reading and expressive prosody.

The text level a student can read with high accuracy (about 95% or above) and strong comprehension with no assistance — ideal for building volume and stamina.

The text level a student can read with support, typically around 90–94% accuracy, where teaching produces the most growth without frustration.

The text level at which accuracy falls below about 90% and comprehension breaks down, signaling text that is too hard for productive practice.

Breadth is the number of words a student knows; depth is how richly each word is understood — its multiple meanings, relationships, and uses. Both matter for comprehension.

Direct instruction explicitly teaches specific words and word-learning strategies; indirect learning occurs through rich oral language, read-alouds, and wide reading.

A classroom display of organized, accessible words students reference for reading and writing, supporting high-frequency word recognition and vocabulary use.

Practices that build literacy for multilingual students — leveraging native-language cognates, frontloading vocabulary, using visuals and realia, and providing comprehensible input alongside grade-level content.

Common word parts borrowed from Greek and Latin, such as 'bio' (life), 'graph' (write), or 'port' (carry), that unlock the meanings of many academic words.

Word knowledge strongly predicts reading comprehension; readers who know more of a passage's words understand more of its meaning.

Reading a large volume of varied texts, a major source of incidental vocabulary growth and background knowledge over time.

Rich, active teaching of word meanings through student-friendly definitions, varied examples, and repeated use in multiple contexts, rather than memorizing dictionary definitions.

Frequently and briefly measuring a student's growth on a target skill, such as oral reading fluency, to judge whether instruction or intervention is working and adjust as needed.

A fluency support in which a student reads along with a proficient model — a teacher, recording, or peer — to internalize accurate, expressive reading.

Because fluent reading is automatic, it leaves cognitive capacity for understanding; dysfluent, effortful reading consumes attention and undermines comprehension.

Adjusting content, process, or product to meet the varied needs of learners — including English learners, students with dyslexia, and gifted readers — based on assessment data.

A prevention framework providing increasingly intensive tiers of instruction and intervention based on data: Tier 1 (high-quality core instruction for all), Tier 2 (small-group support), and Tier 3 (intensive individualized support). RTI is the academic component.

A fluency technique in which text is marked into meaningful phrases so students learn to group words and read with appropriate phrasing rather than word by word.

An adult reading aloud to students, often pausing to discuss, that builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a model of fluent, expressive reading.

Categorizing words as Tier 1, 2, or 3 helps teachers prioritize instructional time, focusing direct teaching on high-utility Tier 2 academic vocabulary.

The active process of constructing meaning from text by combining decoded words with background knowledge, vocabulary, and reasoning. It is the ultimate goal of reading.

Understanding information stated directly in the text — answering who, what, when, and where questions whose answers appear explicitly on the page.

Going beyond what is stated to determine implied meaning by combining text clues with prior knowledge — reading 'between the lines.'

Judging or critiquing a text — assessing an author's argument, reliability, or craft — and forming and supporting an opinion about it.

A before-reading strategy in which readers connect a topic to what they already know, building a framework that improves comprehension of new text.

A reader's organized background knowledge about a topic. Comprehension improves when new information connects to existing schema.

Using text features and clues to anticipate what will happen or be discussed next, then confirming or revising those predictions while reading.

Generating and answering questions before, during, and after reading to monitor understanding and engage actively with the text.

Creating mental images of a text's people, places, and events to deepen engagement and aid memory and comprehension.

Condensing a text to its most important ideas in one's own words, which requires identifying main ideas and distinguishing them from details.

The main idea is the central point of a passage; supporting details are the facts, examples, and reasons that explain or develop it.

A metacognitive strategy in which readers track their own understanding and apply 'fix-up' moves — rereading, slowing down, or looking back — when meaning breaks down.

Thinking about one's own thinking. In reading, it means being aware of whether one understands and choosing strategies to repair comprehension when needed.

Linking a text to oneself (text-to-self), to other texts (text-to-text), or to the world (text-to-world) to deepen understanding.

Combining several pieces of textual evidence with reasoning to reach a logical judgment that the text supports but does not state outright.

Text that tells a story or expresses ideas through narrative or poetry, organized by story elements such as character, setting, and plot.

Nonfiction text written to inform or explain about the real world, organized by structures such as cause-effect, compare-contrast, or sequence.

The building blocks of narrative: characters, setting, plot, conflict, resolution, and theme — the framework for understanding fiction.

The sequence of events in a story, typically including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

The central message, lesson, or underlying meaning of a literary work, such as 'perseverance pays off,' often stated implicitly.

The time and place in which a story occurs, which can shape mood, character behavior, and plot.

Examining a character's traits, motivations, and changes across a story using textual evidence such as actions, dialogue, and thoughts.

The perspective from which a story is told — first person ('I'), second person ('you'), or third person (limited or omniscient).

The organizational pattern of a text, such as description, sequence, cause-effect, compare-contrast, or problem-solution. Recognizing it aids comprehension and recall.

An informational text pattern showing how events or conditions (causes) lead to results (effects), often signaled by words like 'because,' 'so,' and 'as a result.'

A text pattern that examines similarities and differences between ideas, signaled by words like 'however,' 'both,' 'unlike,' and 'similarly.'

A text pattern that presents events or steps in time order, signaled by words like 'first,' 'next,' 'then,' and 'finally.'

A text pattern that presents an issue and one or more ways to resolve it, common in persuasive and informational writing.

Elements such as headings, captions, bold print, diagrams, glossaries, and indexes that help readers locate and understand information in informational text.

A visual tool — story map, Venn diagram, web, or T-chart — that helps students organize ideas and relationships to support comprehension and writing.

The reason an author writes — to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. Identifying it helps readers interpret tone and content.

The author's attitude, bias, or stance toward a topic, which readers identify by examining word choice, evidence, and emphasis.

A fact can be proven true or false; an opinion expresses a belief or judgment. Distinguishing them supports critical reading of informational and persuasive text.

Language that means something beyond the literal words, including similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and idioms, common in literary text.

A simile compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' ('brave as a lion'); a metaphor states one thing is another ('time is money').

Drawing a conclusion an author implies by combining explicit textual evidence with reasoning, a core inferential comprehension skill.

Careful, repeated reading of a short, complex text to analyze its meaning, structure, and language using text-dependent questions and evidence.

Questions that can only be answered by referring to evidence in the text, pushing students to ground responses in the passage rather than personal opinion.

Supporting a comprehension response by quoting or referring to specific parts of the text rather than relying on memory or assumption.

A category of text with shared characteristics, such as fairy tale, fable, biography, poetry, or persuasive essay. Genre knowledge sets reader expectations.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader. Both are shaped by word choice and detail.

An in-depth assessment that pinpoints a student's specific strengths and gaps in reading skills so teachers can plan targeted instruction, used after screening flags a concern.

A structured discussion routine in which students take turns predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing to build comprehension.

An inference is a conclusion about implied current meaning supported by evidence; a prediction is a forward-looking guess about what will happen next, later confirmed or revised.

Retelling recounts the events of a text, often in detail and order; summarizing condenses a text to only its most important ideas in the reader's own words.

The ability to communicate ideas effectively in writing, encompassing composition, organization, conventions, and the recursive writing process.

The recursive stages writers move through: prewriting (planning), drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Writers often loop back among stages.

The planning stage of writing in which a writer generates and organizes ideas through brainstorming, webbing, outlining, or discussion before drafting.

The stage of getting ideas down in connected text, focusing on content and flow rather than perfecting mechanics.

Reworking a draft to improve ideas, organization, word choice, and clarity — changing the substance and structure, not just fixing errors.

Correcting the surface conventions of writing — grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation — typically late in the writing process.

Revising changes content, organization, and clarity (the message); editing fixes surface conventions such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation (the correctness).

Producing and sharing a final, polished piece of writing with an audience, which gives student writing real purpose and motivation.

Writing that tells a real or imagined story, using characters, setting, sequence of events, and often dialogue and description.

Writing that conveys information or explains a topic clearly using facts, definitions, examples, and a logical organization.

Writing that states a position and supports it with reasons and evidence, developing students' ability to persuade and reason.

Common qualities used to teach and assess writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

The distinctive personality, tone, and style a writer brings to a piece that makes it engaging and individual.

The internal structure of a piece — a clear beginning, logically ordered middle, and satisfying ending, with transitions connecting ideas.

Selecting precise, vivid, and appropriate words to convey meaning and engage the reader.

The rhythm and flow of writing achieved by varying sentence length and structure so the piece reads smoothly aloud.

The mechanical correctness of writing: grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

The sentence, often at a paragraph's start, that states its main idea and sets up the supporting details that follow.

The facts, examples, reasons, and descriptions a writer uses to develop and back up a main idea or topic sentence.

Words and phrases such as 'first,' 'however,' 'for example,' and 'in conclusion' that link ideas and signal relationships and sequence in writing.

The grammatical categories of words — noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, and interjection — that students use to build correct sentences.

A group of words with a subject and a predicate that expresses a complete thought, such as 'The dog barked.'

An incomplete sentence missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought, such as 'Running down the street.' It is an error to be corrected in editing.

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction, such as 'It was raining we stayed inside.'

The grammatical rule that a verb must match its subject in number — singular subject with singular verb ('She runs'), plural with plural ('They run').

The phonetic, approximate spelling young writers use as they apply emerging sound-letter knowledge, a normal and informative stage of spelling development.

The typical progression from emergent (scribbles), to letter-name/alphabetic, to within-word pattern, to syllables-and-affixes, to derivational-relations spelling.

The transcription skills — forming letters legibly and typing — that, when automatic, free attention for composing ideas.

A high-quality published piece of writing studied as a model for craft, structure, or technique that students then apply to their own writing.

A scoring guide that lists the criteria and performance levels for a writing task, clarifying expectations and guiding feedback and assessment.

Writing approaches in which teacher and students compose a text together; in interactive writing students 'share the pen' to practice conventions in context.

The teacher composing text aloud while thinking through decisions, making the invisible processes of skilled writing visible to students.

Small-group instruction in which the teacher supports students as they write, providing targeted feedback matched to their needs.

The reader a piece is written for and the reason it is written, which shape a writer's content, tone, organization, and word choice.

Grouping related sentences into paragraphs, each focused on one main idea, to organize writing and guide the reader.

The reciprocal relationship in which reading builds knowledge and models for writing, while writing deepens comprehension and attention to text.

A brief individual meeting in which a teacher discusses a student's writing, offering focused feedback and next steps to guide revision.

Conventions that signal sentence boundaries and meaning — capital letters for sentence starts and proper nouns, and marks like periods, commas, and question marks.

Formative assessment is ongoing, low-stakes checking used to adjust instruction in progress; summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of a unit or period, such as a final writing assessment.

Strategies in which writers evaluate their own work against a rubric or have peers give structured feedback, building independence and revision skills.